Six months into the Middle East crisis, children’s plight remains in the shadows

SEATTLE (April 7, 2024) Today, on the 6-month anniversary of the horrific October 7 attacks in Israel, Christian humanitarian organization World Vision is calling for a renewed focus on the children who are impacted by the continuing violence in Gaza and across the region.

“This humanitarian tragedy has already had terrible consequences for children in particular, but their plight has been largely overlooked,” said Edgar Sandoval Sr., president and CEO of World Vision.

“We know all children matter deeply to God, and the world needs to do all we can to ensure they are protected. Each day the conflict continues, we are seeing more devastating impacts to children’s lives, health, education, and mental well-being that could last for generations.”

The organization warns that more than a million children will suffer lifelong consequences to their mental and physical health unless their well-being is prioritized and an immediate end to the hostilities can be reached. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), an independent and apolitical mechanism for food security analysis, recently confirmed a steep rise in child deaths from malnutrition in the Gaza Strip.

Children should not be victims of a conflict that is no fault of their own. They have a legal right to protection and all international actors and those directly involved in the conflict must guarantee this protection. Safety, security, and well-being of all innocent civilians, especially children, must be the priority for all parties. Hostages need to be reunited with their families. Food and life-saving aid need to reach the civilian population, especially children, their families, and vulnerable groups. Aid workers must be protected and guaranteed safe passage as they carry out their work to save lives.

World Vision is delivering critical humanitarian assistance to vulnerable children and their families in the West Bank, Lebanon, and across the region, including life-saving food and cash and voucher assistance; access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene support; psychosocial support for affected children and their families; and resilience-building activities. The organization does not operate in Gaza.

About World Vision:

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. We serve all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. For more information, visit worldvision.org or follow on X, formerly known as Twitter, @WorldVisionUSA.